Qualifying fish have to be caught by legal means and not be from pay lakes, and also must meet a minimum size that depends on the species. For example, largemouth bass qualify when they are 20 inches or longer, and northern pike qualify at 32 inches or longer.
A list of qualifying sizes, as well as applications to receive a pin, are available on the ODNR website.
For their first qualifying catch, anglers receive a Fish Ohio lapel pin, and if they manage to submit qualifying fish from four different species, they can receive a Master Angler pin.
Regular pins are generally sent out every three months, while the Master Angler pins are sent out in February of the next year.
The ODNR said that this year celebrates the 50th anniversary of the pin program, having recognized over 430,000 catches since it began in 1976.
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